Traveling Day and Night, the Two Sides Meet

After flying at full speed for two days and a night with Ning Fengzhi, Bone Douluo reached the outskirts of North Sea City. The two landed, straightened their clothes, and entered the city together.

At the Seven Treasure Trading Company, Ning Fengzhi presented the token proving his identity and was respectfully shown into a reception room. Meanwhile, others went to inform Ning Haitian that someone had arrived from the sect.

Ning Haitian was drinking tea when he heard how quickly the sect master had arrived. Abandoning the fine tea he had just brewed, he rushed to the reception room as fast as he could.

"Sect Master—"

"Haitian, where is the genius with Innate Full Soul Power you told me about? Take us to him, quickly."

Ning Haitian had barely begun to speak when Ning Fengzhi, just as impatient, cut him off.

"Of course, Sect Master. Here is everything I've found out about the genius with Innate Full Soul Power."

Ning Haitian had intended to exchange a few pleasantries with the sect master, but the words died on his lips. Nodding repeatedly, he took the information he had recently gathered from his Storage Soul Tool.

Mo An. Mutated Martial Soul: Ink bamboo. Innate Full Soul Power. Currently rank thirteen. Good physical strength.

His mutated Martial Soul, ink bamboo, possessed both hardness and flexibility. He planned to pursue the Power Attack System and wanted to hunt a Wishful Vine for his First Soul Ring. The difficulty of obtaining that Soul Ring was suspected to be what prompted him to consider joining the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Uncle Fu, Mo An's grandfather? He ran the Azure Bamboo Pharmacy in North Sea City. Six years ago, he had fled to the city with Mo An, then an infant, and they had lived there ever since.

Mo An had not attended a Martial Soul Awakening ceremony held by Spirit Hall. Instead, he had specially invited someone to his home to awaken his Martial Soul. He was suspected of having a grudge against Spirit Hall.

When registering at the City Lord's Mansion, he had deliberately concealed his true Soul Power, revealing only innate rank-seven Soul Power. His purpose was unknown.

He was currently studying at North Sea Junior Soul Master Academy. During his time at the academy...

This was all the information on Mo An that Ning Haitian had secretly ordered his trusted subordinates to collect after sending the letter.

Ning Fengzhi quickly read through the information Ning Haitian had handed him. Having gained some understanding of the genius with Innate Full Soul Power, he asked, "Where is Mo An now?"

"At North Sea Junior Soul Master Academy. When he came to the Seven Treasure Trading Company, I did my best to persuade him to stay, but he was unwilling. From what we've gathered, he seems to be staying at the academy to read the rare books in its library."

After answering Sect Master Ning's question, Ning Haitian hurried to explain himself. He did not want the sect master to think he had handled the matter poorly.

"I see. Then let's go to North Sea Junior Soul Master Academy to meet him."

Ning Fengzhi held no dissatisfaction with Ning Haitian. All he wanted now was to meet this genius with Innate Full Soul Power as soon as possible. Only after bringing him back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could he truly rest easy.

"Finally finished the last book on my list. That's done."

In the library, Mo An finished recording the key points from the last book and linking together its contents. He rubbed his temples, then leaned back in his chair to relax. He had finished every book he had planned to read. Now he only needed to wait for someone from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to take him to obtain his First Soul Ring.

The library at North Sea Junior Soul Master Academy held a great many books. No matter how talented he was, he could not read them all in a short time. So he had limited his reading list to the important ones. As for the less important books, all he could say was, "No time. I'll read them if fate allows."

As Mo An leaned back and let his mind unwind, he suddenly spotted the somewhat portly Shopkeeper Ning trotting into the library. The man looked around as though searching for someone.

Guessing that Shopkeeper Ning was looking for him, Mo An stood and raised a hand in a quiet greeting.

At the sight of Mo An, Shopkeeper Ning hurried over and said with an eager smile, "My young friend Mo An, Sect Master Ning of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has arrived. He's waiting for you in a private room at the Teahouse outside the academy. Come with me, quickly."

"One moment. Let me return this book."

Mo An had not expected Ning Fengzhi to arrive so soon. After a brief moment of surprise, he rose at once, put the book back in its original place, and followed Shopkeeper Ning out of North Sea Junior Soul Master Academy to the finest private room in the Teahouse.

Upon entering, Mo An saw two people inside.

One had a face like polished jade, a straight nose, and a well-shaped mouth. His features were refined and gentle, and his spotless white robe bore not a speck of dust. He looked to be in his forties. With his mild gaze, he seemed in every way an ordinary man—a kindly, respectable uncle from next door.

The other had a withered face, shrunken muscles and skin, and deeply sunken eyes. He did not have the bulging muscles of a brawny man, but his frame was astonishingly large, as though his clothes hung entirely from his bones. A few strands of white hair grew on his head. He looked over two meters tall, making the chair beneath him seem far too small.

From what Mo An remembered and could infer, the approachable-looking man was probably Ning Fengzhi, sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. The other was likely Bone Douluo Gu Rong.

Neither Ning Fengzhi nor Bone Douluo looked particularly rested, probably because of the journey.

As Mo An observed Ning Fengzhi and Bone Douluo, the two were observing him as well. Ning Fengzhi paid more attention to his bearing, while Bone Douluo assessed him as a Soul Master.

Both were pleased with what they saw.

"You must be Mo An. I am Ning Fengzhi, sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. I'm delighted that you've chosen to join us."

After their brief mutual appraisal, Ning Fengzhi rose and welcomed Mo An to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. He gestured for Mo An and Ning Haitian to sit. His tone was so warm that anyone hearing it would feel an unexpected sense of closeness to him.

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is powerful and has an excellent reputation. I'm honored to join."

Courtesy called for courtesy. He would soon be joining the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and enjoying its benefits. There was nothing wrong with saying a few kind words.

"Hahaha, you flatter us. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has some strength, but I wouldn't call it powerful."

Ning Fengzhi responded to Mo An's praise with a smile, then steered the conversation toward the Wishful Vine. Through a few indirect questions, he asked how Mo An had learned of such an obscure Soul Beast.

The Wishful Vine was exceptionally well suited to Mo An's Martial Soul. Even Ning Fengzhi, a true master of Martial Soul Theory, could not have chosen anything better. At most, he could have found a few Soul Beasts that were roughly as suitable.

Sensing that Ning Fengzhi was probing him, Mo An casually invented a story about stumbling upon the Soul Beast Compendium of a small family that had been wiped out. Naturally, that was where he claimed to have learned about the Wishful Vine.

Ning Fengzhi smiled and praised Mo An's luck. Mo An laughed and brushed the subject aside, turning to another matter instead. "Sect Master Ning, I've made a major discovery that I'd like to share with the sect as a gift for our first meeting."